3) Mix together melted margarine or butter and vanilla, and stir it into the dry ingredients.

4) Once all of those ingredients are sufficiently mixed, stir in the chocolate chips and dried cherries.

5) Take about an Oreo-size amount of dough and form it into a ball. Place the ball on a cookie sheet that's been greased with margarine, butter, or cooking spray, and repeat until all the dough is used up.
6) Make sure to spread out all the balls of dough — only 12 should fit on a sheet!

7) Bake until the cookies just start to brown, and then let cool.

Tuna Spaghetti
Phoebe, 19, Atlanta, GA

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil
1 can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced green olives

1 can drained tuna

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pound spaghetti

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Sauté the garlic in the olive oil at medium heat for a few minutes.
2) Add the tomatoes and their juice, mashing them all together with a wooden spoon.
3) Once they're well mixed, add the olives, tuna, parsley, oregano, and pepper flakes to the sauce.
4) Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes.
5) While the sauce is simmering, boil the spaghetti in a separate pot.

6) Once the spaghetti and sauce are done, serve the spaghetti with the sauce on top, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Simple and delicious!

Spiced Ham and Rice Pilaf
Candace, 14, Durham, NC

Ingredients:

1 bag rice

1/8 cup onions, chopped

1/8 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 Tablespoon shredded American cheese

1/4 cup shaved ham, torn into small pieces

1/4 cup nuts

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

Soy sauce

Directions:

1) Boil rice according to the directions on the bag for 2 servings. (Candace covers the pot to help the rice stay fluffy and cook faster.)

2) While your rice is boiling, chop the onion and green bell pepper.
3) Beat the eggs together and add salt, pepper, and parsley flakes.

4) Pour the eggs into a saucepan, add the cheese, and scramble them together. (For a more unique effect, you can make an omelet and cut it into squares.)
5) Remove the eggs from the skillet.
6) Put the ham and vegetables into the skillet and heat 2 to 3 minutes.
7) By this time, your rice should be just about done. When it's ready, remove the pot from the stove and add the eggs and ham, along with the nuts (peanuts and cashews are my favorites), cayenne pepper, sugar, and oregano.
8) Finally, pour in soy sauce to taste.

9) Mix it well and serve hot! (Makes 2 servings.)

Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Nikita, 18, Irvington, NY

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

6 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until they're well blended.
3) Pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan and bake for 45 minutes.

4) Remove from the oven and let cool, then enjoy. They'll taste even better if you add chocolate frosting on top!

Teriyaki Chicken

Samantha, 18, Lafayette, CA

Ingredients:

2 cups soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons onion salt

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

1 cup mirin (a Japanese cooking wine that can be found in most grocery stores)

2) Once the mixture is melted, add the vanilla extract, sugar, and warm water.
3) When these are all combined, serve in a fondue pot to keep the mixture warm. Then dip away! Juliane's favorite dippers are bananas, strawberries, pound cake, pretzels, and coconut macaroons.